Ski flange

ABSTRACT

A flange for snowmobile ski. One or more flanges are attached to each of the steering skis of a snowmobile to prevent the ski and snowmobile from sliding sideways in snow or on icy surfaces. The flange engages the snow or icy surfaces and prevents lateral movement of the ski when the snowmobile is making a turn.

United States Patent Westberg 51 Feb. 22, 1972 [54] SKI FLANGE FOREIGNPATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: Russell C. Westberg, 10342Pleasant Ave. 396,225 1/1909 France ..280/21 8-, B m g n, Mich- 55420430,477 2/1967 Switzerland 180/5 [22] Filed: Dec. 9, 1969 PrzmaryExammer-R|chard J. Johnson [21] Appl- 833,428 Attorney-Harold D. Jastram52 us. CI .l ..2s0/2s [571 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl ..B62b 17/00 A flan fge or snowmo l e Skl. One or more flanges are attached [58] Field OfSearch ..l80/3, 4, 5, 6, 280/28, 21 to each of the Steering skis of asnowmobile to prevent the Ski and snowmobile from sliding sideways insnow or on icy sur- [56] References Cited faces. The flange engages thesnow or icy surfaces and UNITED STATES PATENTS prevents lateral movementof the ski when the snowmobile is making a turn. 1,053,876 2/1913 Riley..280/28 UX 1,054,673 3/1913 Charles ..280/28 UX 1 Claim, 5 DrawingFigures l9 l3 l8\ /H I ll PATENTED E Z I97? 3, 643.978

l7 l3/-2 24 I2 20 F l G 3 FIG-5 INVENTOR.

RUSSELL C. WE STBERG BY W /WAfi SKI FLANGE The present invention relatesto an apparatus for stabilizing a ski and more particularly to a flangeattached to the side of a ski to prevent it from sliding sideways.

Snowmobiles use skis as a steering mechanism. These skis function withreasonable satisfaction except when the snowmobile is turned atrelatively high speeds. When this turning occurs, the skis tend to slipsideways and consequently, the driver, however skillful, looses controlof his machine at these times. This loss of control is particularlynoticeable when the machine is driven on icy surfaces such as in raceson the frozen surfaces of lakes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved apparatus for stabilizing a ski.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flange for aski to prevent the ski from slipping sideways when the ski is in a turn.

The invention can be more clearly understood by reference to thespecification and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a isometric view of a ski flange in accordance with theinvention,

FIG. 2 is a front view of the flange illustrated in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a snowmobile ski with a flange shownin FIG. 1 attached to the edge thereof and an optional second edge ofthe ski,

FIG. 4 is a front view ofa snowmobile ski and flange, and

FIG. 5 is an alternate embodiment of a ski flange shown in FIG. 1 whichillustrates a spring used to form a flexible mount for the flange.

Refer first to FIG. 1 of the drawings which shows a ski flange 11. Theflange 11 has a runner 12 which forms. a 90 angle with the flange side13.

The runner 12 has a rounded leading edge 14 to permit the runner 12 toeasily penetrate icy surfaces or compacted snow. The trailing end 16 ofthe runner 12 forms a converging line with the flange side 13 and thetaper thus formed tends to permit the runner 12 to clean itself as itmoves through snow and ice.

The flange 11 is mounted on the edge 17 of a ski 13. The flange side 13is mounted flush against the top surface 19. The runner 12 extendsperpendicular to the bottom surface of the ski 18.

The runner 12 extends below the bottom surface 20 of the ski 18 butterminates between the bottom surface 20 and keel 21 of the ski l8. Keel21 is a replaceable keel which extends substantially the entire lengthof the ski 18 from the curved front end 22 to the flat rear end of theski 18. The keel 21 is parallel to the edges 17 and 24 of the ski 18. Itwas found while testing the flange 11 that the runner 12 must not extendto the bottom of the keel 21 or below the keel 21, as viewed in FIG. 3of the drawings, or the flange 11 does not work properly. FUrther, therunner 12 preferably extends more than half the distance from the bottomsurface 20 of the ski to the bottom ofthe keel 21.

The flange 11 is mounted on the snowmobile ski l8, illustrated in FIG.4, at the pivot point 25 of the ski 18. The typical snowmobile 26 ismounted on the ski 18 with an intermediate leaf spring 27. Thus mounted,the typical snowmobile ski tips downward at the front end 22 when theskis are off the surface of the snow.

The flange is mounted to the ski 18 by at least two bolts 28 whichextend through the ski 18 and through holes 29 of the flange 11. Thusmounted, the flange 11 provides a means for preventing the ski 18 fromslipping sideways in the snow or ice as the snowmobile is making a turnusing the ski 18 as the steering mechanism.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 of thedrawing in which two flanges 11 are illustrated mounted on the paralleledges 17 and 24 of the ski 18, The flanges 11 are mounted directlyacross the ski from each other and thus enhance the stability of theski. As a snowmobile turns, one edge of the ski tends to tip and loosecontact with the snow. If this edge happens to be the edge carrying theflange 11, then some of the effectiveness of the flan e is lost. Thiscondition can be remedied by using a flange 1 on each edge of the ski18.

A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5 of thedrawings which shows a flexible mounted for the flange 11. A bolt 30 issufficiently long to extend beyond the flange side 13 so that a coilspring 31 can be mounted over the bolt 30 between the flange side 14 andnut 32. The nut 32 compresses coil spring 31 when the nut is put on thebolt 30. The coil spring 31 thus forces the flange side 13 against thetop surface 19 of ski 18. When the runner 12 strikes a very hard objectsuch as a stone, the flange 11 will move upward, as viewed in FIG. 5,against the coil spring 31 thus preventing damage to the flange 11 or tothe ski 18.

The above specific embodiments and examples are merely illustrative ofthe principles of the invention and are not to be construed as limitingthereof since many variations thereof may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus which includes a snow ski; said ski having a curvedfront end, parallel edges, :1 top surface and a bottom surface; a keelforming a part of said ski and extending substantially the entire lengthof the ski; said keel located midway between the edges of the ski andextending below the bottom surface of said ski; a flange mounted on afirst edge of said ski midway between said front end and back end; saidflange having a runner extending perpendicular to the bottom surface ofsaid ski and extending below the bottom surface; said runner terminatingbetween the bottom surface of said ski and the bottom of said keel atleast tow bolts; said flange having a flange side which is perpendicularto said runner; said flange side is attached to said ski by said bolts;a nut for each of said bolts; and a spring mounted over each of saidbolts; each of said springs being entrapped between said flange side andsaid nuts; said springs compressed by said nuts to force said flangeside against the top surface of said ski.

1. An apparatus which includes a snow ski; said ski having a curvedfront end, parallel edges, a top surface and a bottom surface; a keelforming a part of said ski and extending substantially the entire lengthof the ski; said keel located midway between the edges of the ski andextending below the bottom surface of said ski; a flange mounted on afirst edge of said ski midway between said front end and back end; saidflange having a runner extending perpendicular to the bottom surface ofsaid ski and extending below the bottom surface; said runner terminatingbetween the bottom surface of said ski and the bottom of said keel atleast tow bolts; said flange having a flange side which is perpendicularto said runner; said flange side is attached to said ski by said bolts;a nut for each of said bolts; and a spring mounted over each of saidbolts; each of said springs being entrapped between said flange side andsaid nuts; said springs compressed by said nuts to force said flangeside against the top surface of said ski.